BOOK 1: ONE BY ONE (4th Edition) · Book 1: ONE BY ONE Introduction page 4 How to Use This Workbook...

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BOOK 1: ONE BY ONE (4th Edition)Copyright © 2015 by Global Leadership Center

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other, without the prior permission of GLC.

3Book 1: ONE BY ONE

Introduction page 4

How to Use This Workbook page 5

Session 1: One Truth page 7

The Gospel

Session 2: One Way page 15

The Savior

Session 3: One Proof page 25

Our New Life in Christ

Session 4: One Promise page 33

The Assurance of Our Salvation

Session 5: One Source page 43

The Holy Spirit

Session 6: One Pursuit page 51

Growing in Our Relationship with Christ

What’s Next? page 61

Suggested Answers page 63

Appendix A: What is the Best Decision You've Made in Your Life? page 69

Appendix B: One-Minute WitnessTM page 75

Appendix C: Tips on Using the "What is the Best Decision You've Made in Your Life?" booklet page 89

Appendix D: How to Handle Different Responses to the Invitation to Receive Christ page 91

Appendix E: Evaluation Tool for Gospel Sharing page 95

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4

A mere glance at the headlines will convince anyone that our world is in

trouble. From deadly viruses to terrorists who kill defenseless people;

from tragic mass transportation accidents to corrupt governments and

natural calamities; we all have to live with these harsh realities everyday.

With our increasingly interconnected global community, it would seem

that a problem in one part of the world can affect us who live thousands

of kilometers away. On the other hand, a positive difference made by

one individual can make a difference to millions of people all over the

world. Just think of the technological, environmental, medical, and other

advancements that help us lead better lives today.

The question is, can any ordinary person make a lasting and life-changing

impact in our complicated, connected world today? More importantly,

what is the most significant difference one can make in someone else’s

life, in our search for peace, security and hope amidst our global-scale

concerns?

Welcome to Book 1: One by One. In here, we will explore together how

lasting change can and should happen first in us, then in the world

around us, as we go out and influence another one, then another one –

one by one.

Sounds like a fairy tale? Maybe not. In the series of conversations that

you and I will have with this guide, you will discover that there is a greater

Story behind all the news that we hear today. This Story will change your

life. The Solution to our greatest problem is probably something that you

have never known before.

INTRODUCTION

5Book 1: ONE BY ONE

HOW TO USETHIS WORKBOOK

This workbook is for the GLC Essentials Book 1: One by One study. It can

be used as a stand-alone Bible study guide for small groups.

If you are a small group servant/facilitator, all you have to do is make sure

that you do a personal Bible study using this workbook ahead of your

small group meeting for preparation. Encourage your group members to

have their own workbooks. Do not divert the teaching topic – stick to what

is in the workbook.

The workbook includes the Bible lesson, and individual and small group

learning activities to help you get the most out of your meetings. There

are five parts in every session: Explore, Examine, Express, Experience and

Equip.

• Explore — contains individual and small group activities that help

prepare you for the Bible study.

• Examine — this is where you go through the Bible lesson with

your group.

• Express — this is where the members of the group get a chance to

express more of their insights, questions and thoughts about the

Bible lesson. They can do it in writing, doodling or drawing, and

sharing to the rest of the group.

• Experience — this section is accomplished outside the group

meeting time. There are suggested individual or group Life Apps

that will hopefully help you experience life transformation as you

apply God’s truth in practical ways.

• Equip – this section is to be accomplished by your small group

or Dgroup member with your coaching and mentoring. This is the

"on-the-job" training for every member of a Dgroup to become a

discipler (someone who is a Christ-committed follower and helps

others become Christ-committed followers also).

This workbook is just a tool. We need to depend on the Holy Spirit to

teach us God’s truth and transform our hearts as we go through the Bible

studies.

So, come and discover the One who will change your life!

7

SESSION 1

ONE TRUTHThe Gospel

What is the gospel?

The word “gospel” in Greek* literally means “good news.” The question

is what is the “good news”? The answer to this and most of our questions

about the Christian faith are found in the Word of God, the Bible. We will

discover, by studying the Bible, answers to questions concerning how

Jesus truly is relevant to our lives – how He loves us, and how He can

truly transform our lives.

* see note on page 10

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Good News

Form a group of 3-4. Give time for each one to introduce themselves.

They will also share something based on the last digit of their birth year.

Be guided by the following criteria (to be flashed):

If your birth year ends with:

0-1 : Something good that happened to you today

2-3 : Something good about your family

4-5 : Something good that you will like to eat for breakfast

6-7 : Something good about your work or school

8-9 : Say something good about the person to your right

LEARNING NUGGET

People love to share good things that has happened to them. The Bible

tells about the greatest news that mankind has ever received. But the big

question is, what is the" good news" and why is it so?

EXPLORE

9Book 1: ONE BY ONE

EXAMINETHE GOOD NEWSGod desires to have a relationship with you!

God loves us

Read 1 John 4:8–9

1. What does this verse tell us about God’s basic nature?

Read John 10:10

2. In your own words, what do you think Jesus meant when He said that

He came to give us an abundant life?

While God is loving, He is also holy

Read 1 Peter 1:15

3. How is God described in these verses? What does it mean that God

is holy?

So far we have seen that God is loving but He is also holy.

In the following verses, we will see how these two aspects

of God’s nature are both involved in the Good News. But

how does this relate to us?

Our Problem: Sinful and Opposed To God

4. How does Isaiah 53:6 describe us prior to placing our faith in Christ?

10

Read James 2:10

5. Is there any difference between breaking one commandment and

breaking all the commandments? How would this affect people who

think they are basically good?

Read Romans 6:23

6. What is the consequence of our sin? Is anyone exempted from the

sentence that has been handed down to us? Why or why not?

In the Greek language, in which the New Testament

was originally written, death meant separation –

spiritual death means eternal separation from God.

Most people have the perspective that they

basically are good, and somehow God should

accept us because of His great love for us. But if

we compare ourselves with the perfect holiness of

God, our goodness is not enough. Sin separates us

from God; it is rebellion against Him. Sin is basically

choosing self-will over God’s will.

So far this doesn’t sound like very good news.

Though God desires to have a relationship with us,

we are cut off from Him because of our own sin and

rebellion. Is there any solution to our dilemma?

Note

11Book 1: ONE BY ONE

God sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin

7. What do Romans 5:8 and John 3:16 say that God has done?

Sacrifice of His Son

The story is told of a drawbridge operator whose job

was to lower the bridge each day before the arrival of a

passenger train, then raise it again for the ships in the

river below to continue plying their trade. Each day as

he lowered the bridge, the passengers in the train would

smile and wave as they passed over his bridge.

One day the drawbridge operator brought his son to work

with him. He showed him the huge gears and pulleys used

to raise and lower the bridge, and the beautiful view of

the river valley and the many ships that passed under the

bridge. As he prepared to lower the bridge for the daily

train, he heard a terrifying noise – his son had fallen into

the gears of the draw bridge and could not free himself!

As the oncoming train barreled on, he was faced with a

dilemma – he could either go and free his son, knowing

that hundreds of people would die as the train would smash

into the raised drawbridge; or he could continue to lower

the drawbridge, knowing that it would cost his son his life.

With tears in his eyes, he chose to lower the drawbridge

– sacrificing his own son for the lives of those on the train.

12

Another Death Sentence

On the 14th of June 1830, US President Andrew Jackson

granted pardon to convicted robber George Wilson who

was handed the death sentence by the circuit court of the

eastern district of Pennsylvania. However, on October 21,

1830, George Wilson appeared in court and said that "he

had nothing to say, and that he did not wish in any manner

to avail himself... of the pardon referred to." Sadly, even

if pardon from the death sentence was available for Mr.

Wilson, "the court cannot give the prisoner the benefit of

the pardon, unless he claims the benefit of it, and relies on

it by plea or motion... It is a grant to him... he may accept it

or not, as he pleases."

Source: https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/32/150

It seems impossible to believe, but many today do not accept the

forgiveness that Jesus offers.

• Some may be too proud to accept that they need God’s

pardon.

• Some feel they have to do something to make themselves

worthy first before accepting pardon.

• Some think there is another way to be pardoned, and insist

on doing it their way.

We all have the choice to accept or reject the offer Jesus gives us. Have

you ever made a decision to accept His gift of forgiveness?


If you have not, you can accept that gift right now by faith. One way to

express our faith in Christ is through prayer. Prayer is simply talking to

God, and expressing to Him the desires of our hearts. You can open your

heart to God right now and accept His gift of salvation through a simple

prayer of faith. Pray something like this:

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You so much for loving me. I am so sorry for

my sins. Thank You for dying on the cross for all of my sins.

With Your help, I will turn away from all my sins. Today, I trust

in You to be my Savior and Lord. And I receive You into my

heart. Thank You for forgiving my sins and for coming into my

heart. I accept Your free gift of eternal life. Thank You that one

day, I will go home to You in heaven. From this day on, I will

follow and obey You. Amen.

If you made the choice to trust in Christ as your Savior and Lord, entering

into an eternal relationship with God, read and sign the pledge below as a

reminder of your commitment today:

“Today, Jesus, I trusted in You to be my Savior and my

Lord and I accepted Your free gift of eternal life. I commit

to love and obey You for the rest of my life.”

SIGNED

DATE

EXPERIENCE

EQUIPOn-the-Job Training (15 minutes)

Your discipler will read through the “What is the Best Decision You've

Made in Your Life?” booklet with you. This booklet is what we often use

at CCF to share the gospel with our loved ones, friends, co-workers, etc.

(See Appendix A).

Observe carefully how he/she does it.

15

SESSION 2

ONE WAYThe Savior

How many ways are there to salvation?

There are many views on how to be saved and how to be certain of our

eternal destiny before God. Most of them have a ring of truth. Yet when

we think a little more deeply, we find that many are in conflict with what

God Himself has revealed to us in His Word. The Bible gives us the only

certain knowledge of how salvation is possible. It corrects many of our

wrong ideas about being saved. What are some of the common thoughts

or feelings we have concerning our salvation?

16

I've Been Wrong Before

Take turns in your small group to answer the questions: Have you been

wrong about something you felt and believed was so right before? What

was that wrong belief?

i.e. I used to think that sleeping with wet hair would cause blindness.

I used to believe that Santa Claus was a real gift-giver.

LEARNING NUGGET

Some wrong beliefs may not cause us too much harm – like believing the

Tooth Fairy will give us a coin for each tooth we lose, etc. Other wrong

beliefs can have more devastating consequences, such as jumping off a

tall building and flapping your arms believing that you were born to fly. On

the other hand, right beliefs will lead to good consequences for us, such

as correctly believing that eating more fruits and vegetables will help us

live healthier lives. When it comes to spiritual things, what we believe in

will have serious consequences not only in this life, but for eternity.

EXPLORE


EXAMINEHave you ever had thoughts like these?

I. “God will save me, after all I am not so bad.”

Perhaps you have heard or even thought, “God wouldn’t send him to

hell, he is basically a good person.” Or, “I may not be perfect, but I am a

lot better than she is even if she goes to church all the time.”

In both cases, our standard for determining whether someone should

be saved is how good they are compared to other people we know.

We think that someone who is relatively good by human standards is a

better candidate for heaven than someone who is not so good. But this

is not what the Bible teaches.

Read Romans 3:10–12

1. What do these verses tell us about human goodness?

No one would disagree that some people are better than others.

Yet when God judges us, He does so by a completely different

standard.

Read James 2:10

2. According to this verse, what is the result of breaking God’s law

even one time?

These verses make it clear that being good compared to other

people is insufficient to qualify one for salvation. To be qualified

for salvation through one’s own effort, one would have to be as

holy as God Himself.

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Many Jews in the time of Christ had this perspective. Paul, before his

conversion to Christ, was one of them. But, after coming to faith in Christ,

his outlook changed dramatically.

Read Galatians 2:15–16

Read Luke 18:9-14

3. Jesus contrasts two people in this story. What was the Pharisee

like? What was the tax collector like? Who was declared righteous

( justified) before God? Why?

II. “God will save me if I do enough good works.”

Many people think God will judge us with a set of scales that compare

our good deeds with our bad deeds. But that is not the picture of the

basis of our standing before God as it is found in the Bible.

Read Ephesians 2:8–10

4. According to verse 9, can we earn our salvation through good

works – i.e., doing kind deeds, going to church, etc.? How is a

person saved? Based on this, how would you define grace?

5. Salvation is a gift because Jesus paid for it by His death on the

cross. How do you receive a gift? Do you have to pay for a gift?


Based on the above verses, which is God’s formula

for salvation?

A. FAITH IN JESUS + GOOD WORKS = SALVATION

ex. GOOD WORKS (charity, prayer, good deeds vs. sin)

B. FAITH IN JESUS = SALVATION which results in good work

It is clear from the Bible that salvation is not the result of

our good deeds. We can never be good enough to please

God because He is righteous and holy, and we are not. This

realization often leads us to the next perspective concerning

salvation: “I couldn’t possibly be saved because I am so bad.”

III. “God could never save me... I am too bad to be saved.”

Perhaps this is how you feel today. This perspective is based on the

very same assumption as the perspective that “God can only save those

who are somehow good enough to gain His favor”. But, as we have seen

above, is this true?

The correct formula is B.

20

The Thief on the Cross

Read Luke 23:39–43

6. What were Jesus’ companions at the crucifixion like? Were they

basically good people? What did Jesus promise to the criminal

that asked Him for mercy? Did he do anything to make himself

worthy of salvation? What did he demonstrate when he asked

Jesus to remember him when Jesus goes to paradise?

God’s Perspective on Salvation

Read Psalm 103:8–13

7. What do these verses say about the forgiveness God offers?

Have you ever placed your faith in Christ alone for salvation?

If you have not done so, would you like to right now?

If you would like to do so, simply pray in faith asking Him to come

into your life as your Savior and Lord as the prayer from the end of

Session 1 indicates.

If you have already done so, thank God that He has saved you,

forgiven your sins and given you a new life.


Which of the wrong perspectives about salvation have you believed in

the past? Now that you know how you can be saved, what will you do

differently this week?

Ephesians 2:10 says that one result of having faith in Christ is that we can

do good works that He created for us to do. What good thing will you do

this week that will show your faith in Jesus?

EXPERIENCE

22

On-the-Job Training (30 minutes)

Last week, your discipler read through the "What is the Best Decision

You've Made in Your Life?" booklet with you. Now it’s your turn to read

through it with your discipler. Simply read the booklet the way your

discipler did it with you before. (See Appendices C and D for helpful tips in

using the "What is the Best Decision You've Made in Your Life?" booklet.)

When you’re done, your discipler will give you a few observations on how you

did reading through the booklet. (See Appendix E for the evaluation tool.)

Practice the Pray-Care-Share principle (page 23) in reaching people

around you with the gospel of Christ.

EQUIP


A SIMPLE ACTION PLAN:

Pray – Pray for people, and pray with people. First make a list of 10

people that you will begin praying for them to come to Christ. Then

look for opportunities to pray with them. While some people may not be

immediately open to talking with you about spiritual things, many will be

willing to allow you to pray for them. Simply ask them, “What can I pray for

you?” When they tell you, pray for them. Then check back and see how

God has answered your prayer.

Care – Show tangible concern for people. Look for ways that you can go

out of your way to do something kind for them. There are many ways –

treating them out for coffee, bringing food when they are sick, giving them

a small gift or sending an encouraging text. They may wonder why you are

doing it – if they ask, tell them that you just love them, and wanted to show

your love in a tangible way.

Share – Share the gospel with them when the Lord gives you the

opportunity. There are many ways to share. Here are two:

1. "What is the Best Decision You've Made in Your Life?" CCF has

developed a simple presentation in booklet form, which you can

read through with a friend to explain the message of the gospel,

and lead a person to faith in Christ.

2. One by One. Now that you have gone through One by One, you

can help others who don’t know Christ yet by going through it with

them. The first two lessons explain the gospel and how a person

can put their faith in Christ.

The PCS Packet contains the tools you need to help you do Pray-Care-

Share wherever you are. You may purchase it at the CCF Center Bookstore

or CCF Admin.

PRAY, CARE, SHARE

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Make a list of ten people with whom you will practice Pray, Care, Share.

PRAY CARE SHARE

I WILL PRAY FOR...

WHENHOW I

WILL CAREWHEN

WHAT I WILLUSE TO SHARE

WHEN

1. George Tues,

8pm

Treat for

coffee

Sept. 9 My testimony Oct. 30

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

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SESSION 3

ONE PROOFOur New Life in Christ

How can I know if I have eternal life?

In the first two sessions, we saw that the Bible is very clear – one cannot

be saved on the basis of doing good deeds, being religious, or trying to

make up for our sin through religious rituals. We are saved by God’s grace

through faith alone in Christ’s sacrifice for our sin. It is not because we are

good that we are saved, but because God is good, and He made a way for

us to be saved.

At the same time, the Bible warns us that not everyone who thinks they are

saved will actually experience eternal life.

Matthew 7:21 says that not everyone at the final judgment who says to Him

“Lord, Lord” is truly saved. Can we know for sure?

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As a group, come up with at least ten (10) movies, TV series or songs that

has a theme of living forever, immortality, and eternal love in its plot. For

example, in the 80's, the movie Karate Kid II (1986) has the theme song by

Peter Cetera, "Glory of Love" and the chorus has the line,

We'll live forever

Knowing together

That we did it all

For the glory of love.

Consider locally-produced songs, movies and TV series as well as foreign

ones from past decades until the present.

LEARNING NUGGET

No matter what era you're from, you will come across the theme of "eternal

life" or "eternal love" in popular media. This only shows that people from

all ages and all cultures has a deep-seated wish or longing for life to go on

forever. Jesus Christ (7-2 BC to 30-33 AD) made the bold claim that He is

the source of eternal life. It is a claim that is at the least, interesting enough

to investigate that you might find something to seriously consider.

EXPLORE


WE CAN KNOW!

Read 1 John 5:11–13

1. What do these verses promise us? According to this passage, who

has been given eternal life? Is it possible to know that you have

eternal life? How can a person be sure?

Knowing the Shepherd

One of the most powerful illustrations of the certainty of our relationship

with Christ is His story of the Good Shepherd.

Read John 10:11–14; 27–30

2. What is the difference between the good shepherd and the

“hireling?” What will the hireling do when things are not going

well? What will the Good Shepherd, Jesus, do for the sheep?

3. What is the guarantee that we will never be taken from His hand?

EXAMINE

28

The proof of our new life in Christ

One way to be confident of our relationship with Christ is to see tangible

evidence – a transformed life. The Bible mentions several ways that we

can recognize that God really has entered our lives, and is beginning to

accomplish His work within us.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17

4. What does this verse say we are if we have Christ in our lives?

After receiving Christ into your life, what do you expect to happen

in your life?

Two markers of our new life: Obedience and Love

Read 1 John 2:3–6

5. How can we say we really know God? What evidence did John say

should be seen in a person’s life as a fruit and proof of his faith?


6. How should we relate to one another? How is that a demonstration

of our relationship with Christ?


Read Titus 2:11–12

7. How does grace work in our lives?

As you can see in these verses, changes are to be expected as a result

of our experience of God’s saving power in our lives. The Bible tells us

that true believers will be transformed – they will want to obey what

God desires, and will begin to love others in ways they may have never

experienced before.

While we will never be perfect, people who have a relationship with Christ

will continue to grow in Christlikeness.

Are you beginning to see the work of God in your life? If you are beginning

to see these changes take place, you can be sure that you have begun a

lasting and eternal relationship with the Good Shepherd!

Take a moment to pray and thank God for the changes He is beginning to

bring. If you are yet to experience any of these, ask Him to help you trust

Him to begin His work within you.

30

List down some changes you see in yourself:

Examples: Love for others, desire to learn more about God


1. How has this change in attitude been good for you? In what way/s has

it been a challenge for you?

2. How has this change been translated into your actions?

EXPERIENCE

32

EQUIPOn-the-Job Training (30 minutes)

Your discipler will take you through the One-Minute-Witness training. (See

Appendix B).

Practice your one-minute witness skills with other people that you know

this week; perhaps you can ask someone in your family to help you

practice your skill.

Continue to apply the Pray-Care-Share principle as you reach people with

the gospel.

33

SESSION 4

ONE PROMISEThe Assurance of

Our Salvation

In the previous session, we learned that we can have the wonderful

assurance of having a permanent relationship with God. At times we might

feel otherwise – that perhaps we may disappoint Him, and that somehow

that relationship will change. What does the Bible say about such fears?

34

In your small group, take turns sharing your answer to the questions below:

What are one or two things in your life that you are quite assured of?

What are one or two things in your life that you wish you were assured of?

LEARNING NUGGET

A promise is only as good as the one who gives it. We may make promises

we intend to keep, but because human beings have many limitations, we

do not have the ability to keep all of our promises and thus we cannot give

total assurance to someone that things go the way we promised them.

Only our All-Powerful and sovereign God can totally assure us that all his

promises will come true.

EXPLORE


He promises He will never leave us

Read Hebrews 13:5–6

1. What does God promise that He will never do?

2. What does this mean for our relationship with Christ?

“But what if I disobey Him?”

It is great to know that Christ promises to NEVER leave us once we begin

our relationship with Him. But what if we sin or disobey Him? What happens

to our relationship with Christ?

If you have accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord by faith, then you

have become a follower of Christ – a Christian. You have become a son or

daughter of God.

In John 1:12-13 we are told:

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in

his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human

decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Our relationship with God is permanent. It will never change. But sometimes

there are problems and conflicts within a family that affect the way we

relate to each other. The Bible gives us a powerful picture of that reality in

a famous story told by Jesus.

EXAMINE

36

The Story of the Prodigal Son

Read Luke 15:11–24

3. What was the relationship between the two main characters in

this story? After the younger son left his father, did his position

as his father’s son ever end? How do you think the prodigal son’s

actions affected their relationship as father and son first when he

left home, and later when he went back to his father?

You and the Prodigal

This story is a picture of our relationship with God. We

are His children because we have received Christ into

our lives (John 1:12). He has promised never to leave us

or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). Yet we can (and often

do) commit sin. Does our relationship with Him change?

This story beautifully illustrates the answer. Even

when he dishonored his father and squandered his

inheritance, the prodigal never stopped being his

father’s son. In the same way, even when we sin we are

still God’s children. Our relationship does not change.

What changes is our fellowship with Him. Sin makes

us ashamed and feel distant from God. We cease to

enjoy a close or intimate relationship with our Heavenly

Father, but we do not lose our relationship with Him.

God is ready and waiting for us to return to Him and

restore the joy of our salvation. We need to return to

our Father, humble ourselves before Him, and ask Him

to forgive us.


Restoring our fellowship with God

How can we restore fellowship with God when we have sinned?

Read 1 John 1:8–9

4. What should we do if we sin against God? What does this verse

promise that God will do if we confess our sins to Him?

Read 1 Timothy 2:5–7

5. Who is the one mediator between God and man (a mediator

is someone who stands between two parties in order to

facilitate an agreement)? What are the implications of this

concerning confessing your sins?

Hebrews 10:19–22 says that Jesus made a way for us to go directly to

God. This means we have the great privilege of approaching God humbly,

yet confidently.

The Bible tells us that we can restore our fellowship with Jesus by going

directly to God, asking His forgiveness, and once again seeking to serve

and follow Him. We do not need to go to anyone else to confess our sins,

and we do not need the intervention of any other intermediary – we have

the privilege of going straight to our heavenly Father, who welcomes us

back into fellowship with Himself through Jesus Christ our mediator.

But wait…

This sounds too easy. Can’t this be abused? If God will forgive us anyway,

doesn’t that mean we can sin whenever we want?

38

It is possible to come to the wrong conclusion that, since God is

gracious and forgives all of our sins, then we can deliberately sin without

consequences. But this is not what the Bible teaches.

Read 1 John 3:6, 9–10

6. According to these verses, what do God’s children practice? How

does this relate to people who think they can sin whenever they

want because they know God will forgive them?

Read Hebrews 12:9–11

7. What do fathers do to help their children grow up to live well as

adults? What does it mean that God disciplines us? What is His

purpose in disciplining us?

Ever wonder if you can do whatever pleases you without regard for God’s

will? Consider what Galatians 6:7–8 says:

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man

sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own

flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows

to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."

These verses tell us two things.

First, true believers will never invoke God’s promise of grace and

forgiveness as an excuse to live a life of sin. Such a lifestyle actually points

to another possibility: perhaps such a person does not even know Christ.

Second, these verses teach us that there are consequences for

disobedience and sin. Even if God loves and forgives us, when we disobey

Him we will experience the painful effects of our disobedience. God also

promises to discipline us when we disobey. Just like a loving father will


discipline his children to help them make right choices in life, so too will

our heavenly Father correct us so that we will experience His blessings

and avoid the consequences of our wrong choices.

A final word on the certainty of our relationship with Christ

Even if we know the promises of God that He will not leave us, and that we

only need to ask His forgiveness to restore us to right fellowship with Him,

sometimes we don’t feel that He has forgiven us. We feel we have to do

something more to make it right. Or we believe the lie of Satan that God

can’t forgive us, because somehow our sin is too bad for Him to forgive.

The following diagram is a good reminder of the proper relationship

between our feelings and the truth of God’s Word.

Engine(God and His Word)

Fuel(Our trust in God

and His Word)

Passenger Car(The result of our faith

and obedience)

The train will run with or without the passenger car. But it is futile to attempt

to pull the train by the passenger car. In the same way, we as Christians

do not depend on feelings or emotions, but we place our faith (trust) in the

trustworthiness of God and the promises of His Word.

If you begin feeling that God cannot forgive your sin, remind yourself of

the promises of God that our relationship with Him is permanent, and our

fellowship with Him can be restored by asking for His forgiveness and

turning away from our sin. He promises to cleanse us and restore our

fellowship with Christ!

Take a few moments to thank God for the certainty of our salvation and

the assurance of our relationship with Christ.

40

1. What will you do this week in case you disobey God?

2. Now that you know you have eternal security in your relationship with

God, what will you do this week if you start to doubt God’s love or your

relationship with Him?

3. Have you surrendered your uncertainties to the Lord in prayer? Take

time to memorize and pray according to God’s promises like Hebrews

13:5, Psalm 23:1, 4 and 6.

EXPERIENCE



Your discipler will demonstrate to you how to share the gospel using your

one-minute testimony together with the Best Decision booklet.

Observe carefully how he or she does it. After the demo, practice doing

the same thing with your discipler or another Dgroup member.

This week, pray for others in your family, friends, co-workers and other

people God brings to mind. Ask God that they too will hear the gospel and

place their trust in Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. Use the CCF

Prayer Bookmark to write down the names of this special group of people

that you want to pray for.

EQUIP

43

SESSION 5

ONE SOURCEThe Holy Spirit

How can I live a life that honors God?

In Session 4, we learned that our relationship with God is permanent. Even

if we occasionally stray, sin does not permanently damage our relationship

with God. We can be restored to the joy of our new life in Christ by

confessing our sin and turning back to God.

But it would be even better to consistently see victory over sin! How can

we consistently live in a way that pleases the Lord? In this lesson, we will

learn several important principles which will help you grow in obedience

to Christ.

44

Think about a time when you went through a challenging experience at

work, in the family, with your health, finances, etc. Who were the people

who provided you with the kind of support you needed to get through and

overcome your challenge? How did they help you? Take turns sharing in

your small group.

LEARNING NUGGET

No one is truly ever a "self-made" man or woman. We all need someone's

help and support at times. Some challenges prove too great for overcoming

just by our lonesome selves. Jesus promised his disciples Someone who

will always be with them to help them in their times of need. In fact, we

will not be able to overcome the battles of our soul without the help of this

promised One--the Holy Spirit.

EXPLORE


HOW TO LIVE VICTORIOUSLY

We please God when we consistently overcome temptation and learn to

follow Jesus as a way of life. But how do we live a victorious life?

Know the Three Primary Sources of Temptation

A. The World

Read Romans 12:2, Psalm 119:9–11

1. How are we conformed to the world system? How do we avoid

being conformed to it?

The World System

In this verse, what Paul refers to is how our society and

culture thinks, and how this tends to turn us away from the

Lord. For instance, we often think an action is wrong only

if we are caught (like running a red light when no traffic

enforcer is present, or cheating on an exam, or telling a

“white lie”). Because our society accepts it (“everyone is

doing it”), we think it is OK. But God’s Word calls lying, and

cheating and breaking the law sin, whether or not you are

caught.

As the song says, “God is watching us,” even if no one

else ever knows. The Bible says it even more clearly: “For

His eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his

steps. There is no darkness or deep shadow where the

workers of iniquity may hide themselves.” (Job 34:21-22)

We should have our minds renewed by the Word of God,

the Bible, so that we will no longer be conformed to this

world’s way of thinking.

EXAMINE

46

B. The Flesh

Read James 1:13–16, 2 Timothy 2:22

2. What is the source of our temptation? What is the process of the

temptation becoming sin? How should we stop the process? What

should we do when we find ourselves tempted to sin?

C. The Devil

Read Ephesians 6:10–12

Take note of what instruction God's Word gives us on winning against

the devil and his forces.

Use the Right Strategy

The Bible outlines several important strategies that we should make use

of to avoid sin:

The Bible and prayer to counter the world

Read Luke 11:1–4

3. Why do you think Jesus included the words “lead us not into

temptation and deliver us from evil” at the end of His model prayer

for us? What is the role of prayer in overcoming temptation in our

lives?


Flee from lust

Read 1 Corinthians 15:33–34

4. People. According to these verses, what danger is there in

spending a lot of time with people who don’t follow Christ? Who

are the people you normally spend the most time with? Do they

encourage you to follow Christ?

Resist the devil

Read Ephesians 6:10–12, James 4:7, and 1 Corinthians 10:13

5. Who is our enemy in the spiritual battle we are in? How do we win

that battle? What should we do when the devil tempts us? What

does God promise to do for us?

Be controlled by the Holy Spirit in all situations

Read Galatians 5:16, Romans 8:5–6

Many people misunderstand who the Holy Spirit is. They think of Him

as an inanimate force, like the “force” in Star Wars. Actually, the Holy

Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. He is one of the Persons

of the Godhead, coequal with the Father and the Son. Because He is

God, He is all-knowing, all-powerful and omnipresent. He helps us in

our difficulties. He comforts us. He guides us into truth.

And most importantly, He lives within us and gives us the power to

obey Christ. It has been said that it is impossible to live the Christian

life; this is one of the ironies of Christianity. But through the indwelling

power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to obey Him. The Holy Spirit

makes the impossible possible!

48

6. What is the result of being controlled by the Spirit?

What is the difference between a person controlled by the Spirit

and one controlled by their sinful nature?

Read Ephesians 5:18

7. What does this verse command us to do? Will God fill you with His

Spirit if you ask Him to?

What does it mean to be ‘filled with the Spirit’?

In Ephesians 5:18, Paul contrasts being filled with the Spirit with being

drunk with wine. People who are drunk are unable to control their actions.

Ask them to walk a straight line and they can’t. They are “under the

influence” of the alcohol they have consumed.

In a sense, a Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit is “under the

influence” of God Himself. The normal way of life we once experienced has

now changed. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience

to His desires, not our own. We are controlled and empowered by the Holy

Spirit to act in accordance to His will.


Take a moment now to ask God to fill you with His Spirit so that you can

begin seeing victory over sin in your life.

First, confess any sin which you have committed against the Lord. Claim

His promise in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to

forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Then, on the basis of His command to you in Ephesians 5:18, ask Him

to fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you can obey and please the Lord

through His power, not your own. Tell Him that you sincerely desire for Him

to control your life, and ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to live moment

by moment for Him.

EXPERIENCE


Share your one-minute testimony and the gospel to someone in your

workplace this week. If he or she gives a positive response to the gospel,

do a follow-up meeting with him or her within 48 hours. Use Book 1: One

by One in your follow up and subsequent meetings.

EQUIP

51

SESSION 6

ONE PURSUITGrowing in Our

Relationship with Christ

How will I grow in my relationship with God?

If you have ever been “in love”, then you know what it is like to have a

growing desire to know the person you fell in love with. Married couples

especially know that entering into a relationship and growing in intimacy

with your loved one are two different things.

52

Take turns sharing in your group about...

1. A skill you learned as a child that you continue to use today

2. A skill you tried to learn at any point in your life but never mastered

LEARNING NUGGET

A popular idea on mastering a skill states that it takes about 10,000 hours

of deliberate practice to develop an expertise in a field of discipline such

as in music, sports, the arts, culinary skills, etc. Whether or not this is true,

it is commonly observed that we can improve our performance of a certain

skill when we practice the right way for sustained periods of time. This

proves true as well for our relationships--with people and with the Lord.

Growing in our love relationship with God will take time and discipline on

our part.

EXPLORE


Growing in Your Relationship with Christ

When you entered into a personal relationship with God, your journey in

knowing Him intimately had only just begun. You need to keep on growing

in your relationship with Jesus Christ. Growing a relationship – whether

with another human being or your relationship with the Lord – can be

likened to growing plants in a garden.

Read Matthew 13:1–9; 18–23

1. What are the four types of soil described in this parable?

a. What is characteristic of the hard ground of the path? What

happens to the Word of God when it lands there?

b. What is characteristic of the rocky soil? What happens to the

Word of God when it lands there?

The Parable of the Four Soils

Just like a healthy plant grows through proper cultivation

and care, so does our relationship with Christ. Jesus

used the parable of the four soils to illustrate the different

growth patterns of those who have heard the gospel.

EXAMINE

54

c. What is characteristic of the thorny soil? What happens to the


d. What is characteristic of the good soil? What happens to the


Growing a Healthy Relationship with Christ

When you received Christ into your life you began a new relationship with

Him. Before, you only knew about God but now you know Him personally.

Our relationship with Christ grows as we spend time with Him and follow

His pattern for our life.

There are several important elements in developing a healthy relationship

with Christ. The following diagram gives us a picture of these elements.

WITNESSINGFELLOWSHIP

A

LIFE

OF

WORSHIP

OBEDIENCE

IN

THE

POWER OF THE HOLY

SPIR

IT

JESUS CHRIST

PRAYER

GOD’SWORD

The Growth Wheel, Adapted from The Navigators


A life of worship

Everything we do should bring honor and glory to Christ. Worship is often

expressed most clearly when we all come together to worship on Sundays.

But everything we do should honor Christ – even when we are at work, at

home, at school, or at play.

Christ the center

When Christ is the center of our life, the wheel moves smoothly.

Obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit

Obedience to Christ is where the “rubber meets the road” – where we see

our relationship with Christ worked out in the crucible of our daily lives.

The vertical spokes of the wheel relate to our vertical relationship

with Christ:

Prayer

Regular communication with the Lord is essential to developing our

relationship with Him. We do this through prayer.

God’s Word

Every relationship is built on two-way communication. We must carefully

listen to the Lord through regular Bible reading/study and obey what He

tells us to do.

The horizontal spokes relate to our horizontal relationships with those

around us.

Fellowship with other believers

Our faith was never intended to be practiced alone. We must grow in the

Lord together, and love and encourage one another by spending regular

time together with other believers.

56

Witnessing

This simply means connecting those around us to Christ. Christ desires

to use us to connect our family, friends and loved ones to him. Being a

witness for Christ is a part of every growing Christian’s life.

Cultivating Our Relationship with Christ

These elements can all be seen in the life of the early church.

Read Acts 2:42–46

2. What did the first Christians do after they came to know the Lord?

Through Prayer


3. What do these verses tell us about our prayers?

Through God’s Word (The Bible)

Read Psalm 119:105; Joshua 1:8

4. What do these verses tell us about God’s Word?


These are the two main elements that will help us develop our vertical

relationship with God: prayer and God’s Word, the Bible.

Prayer is talking to God, telling Him whatever is on our hearts, and

asking His help, guidance and involvement in our lives.

The Bible is God’s primary way of speaking to us. Through the Bible,

God communicates to us about who He is, and how we are to live for

Him. It tells us how to obey Him in the power of the Holy Spirit so that

we can be pleasing to Him.

Jesus’ example

Read Matthew 14:23 and Luke 5:15–16

5. How would you characterize Jesus’ life and ministry? How did He

respond to the demands on Him?

If Jesus, God’s own Son, needed to retreat frequently to spend

time with the Father, we need to do so even more.

58

How to Have a Quiet Time

A “quiet time” is a time for you to meet with the Lord daily

to grow in your relationship with Him.

• Choose a place where you will not be disturbed

and where you can concentrate well.

• Select a time when you are alert, not rushed, and

when you can be consistent.

• Bring your Bible, a ballpen and notebook to write

down prayer requests and things the Lord teaches

you from His Word.

• Begin spending a few minutes a day with the Lord.

Later, you may want to extend the time as you get

to know Him more.

• Be creative. Although the basic elements of a quiet

time are the same (prayer, praise, Bible reading,

singing, meditating on the Lord and His word, etc.),

there are different ways to spend time with the

Lord.

Cultivating Our Relationship with People

Through Fellowship

Hebrews 10:24–25

6. What do these verses instruct believers to do?

Through Witnessing

Acts. 1:8

7. What did Jesus tell His disciples they would receive and become?

What does a witness do?


1. Think back on the 4 different soils. What kind of soil are you right now?

What kind of soil do you want to be? What will you do to become good soil?

2. Read Acts 4:18–20; John 4:39–42.

What were Peter and John told not to do? What was their response?

What did the Samaritan woman do after she met Jesus? How did she

influence the people in her town?

Have you been pressured not to talk about Christ to others? What

should your response be? What steps will you take to share Christ

with others?

3. Schedule a time to read the Bible and pray. If you read for at least ten

minutes everyday, you can finish the whole Bible in a year!

4. When will you spend regular time with God in prayer and reading the

Bible this week?

EXPERIENCE

60

Will you commit to spend ten minutes a day to read the

Bible systematically (Genesis-Revelation, etc.), reading at

least two chapters?

I commit to read the whole Bible by spending ten minutes

everyday reading at least two chapters.

SIGNED

DATE


Your discipler will ask you what your experience was like when

you shared your one-minute witness testimony and the gospel.

Be sure to give honest feedback and do not be embarrassed to

ask for help with any difficulty you may have encountered.

This week, share the gospel using your one-minute testimony

and the Best Decision booklet with someone in your workplace

or community that you have been praying for. If that person gives

a positive response to the gospel, remember to do a follow-up

meeting within 48 hours. Use Book 1: One by One in your follow-

up and subsequent meetings.

EQUIP

61

WHAT’S NEXT?BOOK 2: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

Congratulations! You have completed Book 1: One by One. We sincerely

hope that you have made the decision to enter into a committed relationship

with God through Jesus as a result of this study.

When you enter into a new relationship, you make space for that special

person in your schedule, in your budget, in your circle of friends and in your

family. You choose to prioritize your relationship over other endeavors.

This is similar to your life with Jesus Christ. A committed follower of Christ

will see changes happen in his lifestyle in response to God’s presence in

his life.

But what does it mean to live life with Jesus Christ? How does one “make

space” and prioritize God in the busyness of 21st century living? What kind

of changes in your life can you expect to see as you grow in intimacy with

the Lord? These and other FAQs of the life of a committed follower of

Christ will be dealt with in Book 2: Spiritual Disciplines.

We hope that you continue discovering more about Jesus Christ and what

it means to have Him in your life!


SUGGESTED ANSWERSSESSION 1

1. God is love; His basic nature is that He is a loving God.

2. A full and meaningful life; a life with purpose; a life with love, joy,

and happiness.

3. God is holy; He does not sin, and keeps Himself completely

separate from anything sinful or impure.

4. We were like sheep that have LOST their way.

5. If we break one commandment, we are guilty of the whole law;

even if we think we are basically good, we must realize that our

good deeds cannot outweigh our bad deeds.

6. Death – eternal separation from God; there are no exceptions

because everyone has sinned.

7. God showed his love for sinners like us when he sacrificed his only

Son, Jesus to die on the cross for the penalty of our sins (death);

He offers us the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

SESSION 2

1. There is no one who really seeks God, and no one who is really

good.

2. We are guilty of the whole law.

3. The Pharisee was boasting of his good works. He looked down on

the tax collector. The tax collector humbled himself before God.

He admitted he was a sinner and needed God’s mercy.

4. We are saved by grace through faith. We are not saved by our

good works – instead, when we do good things, they show that we

are simply fulfilling God’s design for our lives. Grace is something

we receive that we do not deserve.

5. We receive a gift when we accept it from the giver. No, we do not

have to pay for a gift – the gift-giver already paid for the gift!

64

6. They were convicted criminals and were not “good” people. Jesus

promised that the repentant criminal will be with Jesus in paradise.

The criminal on the cross did not (and could not) do anything to

make himself worthy of salvation. He demonstrated faith in Jesus

as his Savior.

7. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according

to our wrongdoing. He has removed our transgressions from us.

SESSION 3

1. God has given eternal life to all those who believe in his Son. Yes,

it is possible to know as seen in these verses because these were

written so that we will know that we have eternal life. A person

can be sure of eternal life based on God’s promise as written in

these verses.

2. The good shepherd will not abandon the sheep, he will give up

his life to protect the sheep. The hireling will abandon the sheep

when there is danger. Jesus laid down His life for His sheep.

3. Jesus promised that not one of His sheep will ever perish or be

snatched away from His hand. No one can snatch them away from

His Father’s hand, who is greater than all.

4. We are a new creation. I would expect my life to be different from

my old one.

5. We can say that we really know God if we keep or obey His

commands. A person who lives like how Jesus lived shows

evidence of his faith in Christ.

6. We should love one another. The passage says that loving our

brothers and sisters is evidence that we are in the light. Since God

loves us, loving each other reflects how He relates to us.

7. God’s grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodly living and worldly

passions.


SESSION 4

1. God promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.

2. Since Jesus promised He will always be with us, we do not need

to worry about losing our salvation.

3. They were father and son and the relationship is permanent. The

son remained his father’s son even when he left home. However,

the son’s actions resulted in alienation from the father. He could

no longer enjoy the closeness or fellowship with his dad. This

fellowship was restored after the son went back to the father who

welcomed him with delight and forgiveness.

4. We should confess our sins to God; He will forgive us of our sins

and cleanse us from impurity.

5. No one who lives in God keeps on sinning. God’s children do what

is right. Those who keep on sinning because they believe God will

forgive them anyway shows that they do not belong to Him.

6. Our actions will have consequences. Sin could result in broken

relationships with others, shame, guilt, financial crisis, etc. while

obedience will result in peace, harmonious relationships, a

purposeful life and other blessings from God.

7. Fathers discipline their children. When God disciplines us, it

means that He treats us as His legitimate children. His purpose is

to train us for our good for us to become godly or to be like Him.

SESSION 5

1. By letting the way the world thinks influence us to think and act

the same way; by allowing our mind to be renewed by God’s Word.

2. Our fleshly lusts; we start by thinking about it, then by considering

it, then by doing it; do not be deceived by lustful thoughts; God’s

Word keeps us from sinning. Flee from temptations because we

should not unnecessarily expose ourselves to tempting situations.

3. Because He wanted us to practice praying so we can avoid falling

into sin. Prayer allows us to receive God’s strength to say “No” to

temptation. The devil; against rulers of darkness, spiritual forces of

66

evil in the spiritual realm. We win this spiritual battle with the full armor

of God, being strengthened with the strength of the Lord's power.

4. Morally bad people can influence us not to follow Christ.

5. The devil and his forces; by putting on the armor of God – belt

of truth, breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel,

shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit (the Word of

God). Resist the devil; he will flee from us. God will never give us

a temptation that is impossible to overcome; He will always give

us a way to escape.

6. We will not carry out the desire of the flesh. The person controlled

by the flesh does not experience spiritual life, the person controlled

by the Holy Spirit enjoys life and peace.

7. It commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit; yes, because we

know it is His desire that we be filled with the Spirit.

SESSION 6

1. Four kinds of soil – hard, rocky, thorny, and good soil.

a. The hard and compacted soil of the path made it impossible

for the seed to penetrate and grow. The Word of God lands

on a hard heart (like the hardened soil of the path), then Satan

(like the birds) snatches away what was sown in his heart.

b. Rocky soil contains some soil to accept the seed, but not

enough for them to be deeply rooted. The soil is also filled with

rocks of all sizes. The plant eventually dies because there is

no root formed. These people joyfully receive the Good News

of the gospel because of the promises offered. They grow a

little initially, but since it has no roots or lacks real depth, when

trouble or persecution comes they quickly fall away.

c. Thorns rob the plant of nutrition, water, light, and space. Thus,

when the thorns grew, the good seed was choked out and could

not grow to maturity and yield a crop. The man hears the Word

but the worries and cares of this life and the deceitfulness of

wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. Distractions and conflicts

can rob new believers of time to reflect and meditate on God’s


Word to grow from it. Materialistic pursuits distract believers,

choking out God’s Word so that it yields nothing.

d. The seed landed in plowed and readied soil. This seed had

the depth of soil, space, and moisture to grow and produce

a crop. Believers should be a good soil; they hear the Word

and accept it. These are the true disciples, those who have

accepted Jesus, believed His words, and allowed His Word to

build and make a difference in their lives.

2. They met together for prayer, to study God’s Word, for fellowship,

and for witnessing. In order to produce spiritually healthy disciples

of Jesus Christ.

3. God listens to our prayers. Praying in line with God’s will is the key

to getting whatever believers ask in prayer.

4. We have to meditate on God’s Word daily. God’s Word directs and

guides us in our Christian walk. It is the sole rule of our faith and

conduct. God’s Word will help us to become successful in God’s

standards, to mature in the faith and become Christ-like.

5. Jesus’ life and ministry is characterized by prayer and fellowship

with the Father. Many people came to hear Him preach and to be

healed of their diseases but Jesus made sure He had time alone

with the Father and that He prayed regularly.

6. We should always gather together to worship God, share our faith

and to strengthen one another in our Christian walk. We have to

enjoy encouragement from one another especially in times of

challenges and difficulties.

7. The disciples will receive power from the Holy Spirit to become

witnesses. Being a witness for Christ is simply sharing to your

friends, family, relatives and associates what Christ has done in

your life.

69

APPENDIX A

WHAT IS THE BEST DECISION

YOU'VE MADE IN YOUR LIFE?

70

There are four important truths that we must know:

I. GOD LOVES YOU and desires that you:

• Have eternal life with Him.

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so

that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal

life.” (John 3:16)

• Have an abundant and meaningful life with Him.

“The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have

come in order that you might have life — life in all its fullness.”

(John 10:10)

But most people aren’t experiencing a meaningful life

and aren’t sure that they have eternal life because...

II. Man has a SIN problem that SEPARATES him from GOD.

1. Everyone has sinned.

Romans 3:23 says, “everyone has

sinned and is far away from God’s

saving presence.”

2. The penalty of sin is death.

“For sin pays its wage — death; ...”

(Romans 6:23)

The Bible talks about different kinds of death:

• Physical Death

“Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God.”

(Hebrews 9:27)

• Spiritual death or eternal separation from God

“But cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those

M A N G O D

Man

's P

robl

em

is S

in


who practise magic, those who worship idols, and ALL LIARS —

the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulphur, which

is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

Since sin separates man from God, what is

the solution to this problem?

We often think religion, good works,

good morals are the solution.

But there is only one solution from God.

III. JESUS CHRIST is God’s ONLY way to eternal life.

Why?

• He is the ONLY way.

In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the

way, the truth, and the life; no one

goes to the Father except by Me.”

• He COMPLETELY paid the

penalty of your sins.

“For Christ died for sins once and

for all, a good man on behalf of

sinners, in order to lead you to

God.” (1 Peter 3:18)

• His resurrection proves that He is the Son of God, the Messiah,

the only Savior.

“It is about His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: as to His humanity,

He was born a descendant of David; as to His divine Holiness,

He was shown with great power to be the Son of God by being

raised from death.” (Romans 1:3-4)

Merely knowing what Christ has done for us is not enough.

M A N G O D

Religion

Good Works

Good Morals

M A N G O D

J E S U S

72

IV. We must place our FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST to save us.

• We are saved by God’s grace

through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

“For it is by God’s grace that you

have been saved through faith. It is

not the result of your own efforts,

but God’s gift, so that no one can

boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

• He promises eternal life.

“Whoever believes in the Son has

eternal life; whoever disobeys

the Son will not see life, but must

endure God’s wrath.” (John 3:36)

Based on Ephesians 2:8–9, if salvation can be expressed in a formula,

which do you think is the correct one?

FAITH IN JESUS + GOOD WORKS = SALVATION

or

FAITH IN JESUS + NOTHING FROM US

= SALVATION, LEADING TO GOOD WORKS

Ephesians 2:10 tells us good works come as a by-product of salvation: "God

has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus He has created

us for a life of good deeds, which He has already prepared for us to do."

Good works are not the means to salvation,

rather they are the evidence of your salvation.

• We show our faith in Jesus Christ by:

1. Accepting His gift of eternal life through prayer

2. Turning away from our sins

3. Surrendering our lives to Him

For sin pays its wage — death; but God’s free gift is eternal life in

union with Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

M A N G O D

J E S U S


“If anyone wants to come with Me, he must forget self, carry his

cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)

God promised that you can know today

that you have eternal life when you trust in Jesus.

This will determine your eternal destiny.

Perhaps you have trusted God for many things, but today He is asking

you to trust Him alone to save you. He is offering you forgiveness and

eternal life, and He wants to have a personal relationship with you.

Are you willing to make the decision to trust and follow

Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

Pray this in faith:

Lord Jesus, thank you so much for loving me. I confess that I have sinned

against you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.

Today, I put my trust in You as my Lord and Savior. I accept your free gift of

eternal life and I surrender my life to You.

Thank You for forgiving my sins. From this day on, I choose to follow You. Amen.

If you have just trusted Jesus Christ, then the following things have

happened to you:

• Your ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD

BEGINS TODAY.

“I am writing this to you so that you may

know that you have eternal life — you

that believe in the Son of God.”

(1 John 5:13)

• All of your sins are paid for and

forgiven. (past, present, and future sins)

“He rescued us from the power of

darkness and brought us safe into the

kingdom of His dear Son, by whom we

are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.” (Colossians 1:13–14)

M A N G O D

J E S U S

74

• You are a new person in God's eyes.

A new life has begun for you.

“Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone,

the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

• You became a child of God.

“Some, however, did receive Him and believed in Him; so he gave

them the right to become God’s children.” (John 1:12)

Today is your spiritual birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

As a reminder of your commitment today, read and sign this pledge:

Today, I trusted in Jesus to be my Lord and Savior and I accepted His free

gift of eternal life. From now on, I will follow Jesus for the rest of my life.

SIGNED DATE

You now have a very personal and permanent relationship with

the Lord Jesus Christ. To grow in your relationship with Him:

• Pray to Him everyday. This is how we talk to God.

• Read the Bible. This is how God talks to you. Begin with the

Gospel of John. Read a chapter a day and ask the Holy Spirit to

help you understand it.

• Join a discipleship group to grow. Learn more about God and

how to please Him in a discipleship group.

• Attend a Bible-believing church to learn more about God and

how to worship Him.

• Share this booklet to bless your family, friends, and others.

75

APPENDIX B

TM

ONE MINUTEWITNESS

One of the World’s Easiest Faith-Sharing Tools!

76

Share my faith,Who me?

Your country needs you... Your friends need you...Your Savior needs you... To bring them hope!

Aren’t you glad someone shared their faith with you? If Jesus is the answer, shouldn’t we be actively sharing His solutions with others in this broken world?

ME, share my faith? Yes. God has chosen you and me to be His ambassadors, His voice, His beating heart. Why? Because there is no better advertisement for His life-changing love than you and me! We are His trophies of grace.

Maybe you’re thinking that evangelism is too hard or it’s the pastor’s job. Or maybe you’re worried someone may ask a hard question.

These thoughts and fears aren’t new. They just reflect ‘creative thinking’ on the part of our own insecurities. In fact, God invites all Christians to share their faith.

Sharing our faith not only blesses the recipient, it blesses you back. Plus, God even gives us the Holy Spirit to help us so we never do this alone. Let’s decide to shut-off that voice of insecurity, and ask God to give us ‘spiritual ears’ to hear His voice!

We ALL can do this. We ALL have a story, and this ONE-MINUTE-WITNESSTM tool makes it fun and easy. After learning and applying this ONE-MINUTE-WITNESSTM tool, a pastor said, “To think I have wasted all these years by not sharing my faith. Now I can do it with confidence.”

AND SO CAN YOU...

I GUARANTEE IT!

Tom Elie

International Evangelist


Evangelism Made EasyThe ONE-MINUTE-WITNESSTM tool can revolutionize your life and mobilize

you in sharing your faith without fear. Thousands of others are using it. So

give it a try... for the sake of those God intends to influence through you!

The One-Minute Witness Tool

1. Permission

2. B.C. (Before Christ)

3. T.P. (Turning Point)

4. A.D. (Anno Domini)

5. “If I had not met Christ...”

78

PermissionUse your fingers to help you remember these 5 easy steps!

Because God loves people, He wants us to tell them about Jesus: whether

they are strangers or friends. Here’s a great way to start: PERMISSION

When we ask people ‘permission’ to share our thoughts, we treat them with

respect, and their defenses come down. Here’s a way to transition your

conversation...

“I wonder if I could ask you a question?” If they agree, ask...

“What would you say is the best thing that hasever happened to you?”

People invariably smile. Why? It taps into their memory archives and brings

up pleasant thoughts. After they finish their story, then ask...

“May I share the greatest thingthat has ever happened to me?”

Be brief. Sow the seed of the Gospel in around 60 seconds; that’s a ‘ONE-

MINUTE- WITNESS.TM’ A brief story will help keep your friend engaged.

NOW IT’S TIME TO START YOUR STORY...


B.C. (Before Christ) Begin your B.C. story

We all have a ‘B.C’ story, our life ‘BEFORE CHRIST.’ What was your life like

before you personally fell in love with Jesus? I DIDN’T SAY before you went

to church or got confirmed. I DO MEAN when you truly surrendered your

heart and life to Christ.

Here’s where we start writing YOUR B.C. story. First, think of three adjectives

that describe your B.C. life.

Perhaps you were lonely, frustrated or lacked purpose. Perhaps you had

success without significance, lots of guilt or anxiety. Maybe you were

hopeless in life or angry at God or afraid to die. The list goes on.

Maybe you’re like me. You surrendered your life to Christ at a young age and

can’t remember a specific moment of conversion. Even though I was young,

there are some things I remember: my need for forgiveness, feelings of guilt,

and knowing there has to be a God.

As you remember your B.C. days, YOUR STORY begins to take shape. Go

ahead and finish this sentence with three adjectives or phrases and write

them on page 73:

“There was a time in my life when...”

80

T.P. (Turning Point) Begin your T.P. story

Everyone has a season when their spiritual curiosity kicks in, a time when

you see your spiritual need. This is your TURNING POINT.

It could have been during a church service, during a crisis, a healing or

answered prayer. It could have occurred when someone shared their faith

with you or even when you experienced success, yet still felt empty.

My T.P. sounds like this: “One day someone told me about a God who really

loves me. This God was personal and not distant, and invited me to live in

heaven with Him forever. But I had a problem. Heaven’s perfect, and I’m not,

so I couldn’t get in. But this God, named Jesus, made a way for me. He came

to earth 2,000 years ago and became the perfect sacrifice. He died for me

to remove my sins. All I had to do was receive His gift. So I asked Jesus to

forgive me, and I invited Him to become the leader of my life.”

WHAT’S YOUR ‘TURNING POINT’? How did you hear about Jesus? What

did you ask Jesus to do in your life? Write this on page 83.


A.D. (Anno Domini) Begin your A.D. story

A.D. MEANS ‘ANNO DOMINI’. It is Latin for ‘the year of our Lord.’ This is

the easiest and most fun part of our story because we get to talk about the

positive change Christ has made in our lives. Here are some of the benefits

of coming to know Christ and the difference He makes in our lives: having

new joy, a sense of purpose and fulfillment, no more guilt, new friends,

and assurance of eternal life. It’s a picture of the father rejoicing when his

prodigal son came home. “My son was lost but now he’s found, he was dead

but now he’s alive!” (Luke 15).

My A.D. sounds like this, “Since asking Jesus to be the king of my life, I have

new purpose, new joy, and the confidence that I can go to heaven when I

die.”

FIND THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE THE POSITIVE CHANGE

THAT CHRIST HAS MADE IN YOUR LIFE.

That’s not too hard, is it? Turn to page 83 when you have come up with

your answers.

82

If I Had Never Met Christ...Complete your story

Imagine what your life would be like without knowing Jesus. That sounds

frightening, doesn’t it? You certainly wouldn’t have the blessings you just

described in A.D.

Let’s wrap up your story with what your life might be like if you had never met

Christ. When you speak, the listener will hear your heart. Some people say

their life would be empty, meaningless or still searching for purpose. Others

say they would be in jail, on drugs, divorced, or even dead. Life would be

radically different. When you’re done, thank them for listening.

I am told the average person hears the Gospel 7 times before they give their

life to Christ. Our immediate goal is not to win them to Christ, but to plan the

seed of your testimony. Anything more than that is a bonus!

You can respond to their questions if they are open to talk more. Just

don’t get into a discussion over doctrine. The power of your story is simply

sharing your heart. It’s like the blind man who said, “I don’t know much

about this man who healed me. All I know is that I once was blind, but now

I see” (John 9:25).

Finish this sentence and write your answer on page 84.

IF I HAD NEVER MET CHRIST, ...


Finish this sentence withthree adjectives or phrases...

“There was a time in my life when...”

1

2

3

What was your ‘turning point’?

1. How did you hear about Jesus?

2. What did you ask Jesus to do in your life?

Describe the positive changethat Christ has made in your life.

List three benefits

1

2

3

84

What would your life look likewithout Christ?

“If I had never met Christ, I...”

Let’s Review1. Permission

2. B.C. (Before Christ)

3. T.P. (Turning Point)

4. A.D. (Anno Domini)

5. “If I had not met Christ...”


Inviting the Holy Spirit

The ONE-MINUTE-WITNESSTM tool is simply an aid to help you share the

life- changing story of Jesus. It is only a tool. It is NOT the message. We must

put our confidence in the leading of the Holy Spirit and in His ability to “draw

all men unto Him” (John 12:32).

Jesus often approached strangers... like the woman at the well, Zacchaeus

who was in the tree, and Matthew the tax collector. Other times Jesus built

relationships and then shared, but He was quick to obey His Father’s voice.

So when, how, and with whom do you share your faith? Begin each day with

the following prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to someone.

“DEAR JESUS, I AM AVAILABLE. PLEASE PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY

TO SHARE MY STORY TODAY. AMEN.”

86

Taking it Further...

After sharing the ONE MINUTE WITNESS, you may ask them questions,

such as:

1. “So what about you? If you died tonight, do you think you would

go to heaven?”

2. “How do you think someone gets to heaven?”

3. “May I tell you how the Bible says you can know you’re going to

heaven?” If their answer is “yes,” introduce the ‘ABCs.’

‘A’- ADMIT I have done wrong, and my sin separates me from

a holy God. (Romans 3:23)

‘B’- BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died to forgive me, and then rose

again, proving He is the one true God. (Romans 10:9–10)

‘C’- CONFESS my sins to Jesus, and ask Him to be the king

of my heart. (1 John 1:9)

If they understand the ABCs, then ask this key question:

“What would stop you from totally surrendering your life to

Jesus Christ today?”

If there’s nothing stopping them, then ask, “With God’s help, would you

be willing to turn away from what the Bible calls ‘sin’, and follow Jesus

daily?”


Closing Your Story...

If they say “yes,” then ask them to repeat your heartfelt prayer using the

ABCs. When they are done, congratulate them, and point them toward 3

things: reading the Bible daily, praying daily, and finding a Bible-believing

church to attend weekly. Exchange e-mails and phone numbers, and

contact them again within 24 hours to congratulate them. Read John 3:16–

17 to them and ask them what it means to them. Ask them how you can

pray for them, and invite them to go with you to church or your small group.

FOR GREAT FOLLOW-UP GO TO THESE WEBSITES:

www.frostygrapes.com

www.salvationpoen.com

So my friend, now you are equipped for the adventure of an eternity. Ask a

friend to be your witnessing partner for the next 7 days. Email us with your

results. And let’s be His everyday witness... starting today!

88

If you want to join others who are serious about

taking their faith to a new level, join us at:

www.oneminutewitness.org

Sign up at our Website to receive our FREE One Minute Witness E-mail

each week. It will motivate you to focus on things that matter for eternity...

souls!

To order this ONE-MINUTE-WITNESSTM booklet,

visit our Website above or write:

Oasis World MinistriesPO Box 2244

Maple Grove, MN 55311 USA

763-425-9355 . [email protected]

© 2009, revised 2014. Oasis World Ministries. Written by Tom Elie and Oasis World Ministries. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be changed in any way or reproduced in any form without written permission from Oasis World Ministries. V6.

*The One-Minute Witness booklet is also available at the CCF Center

Bookstore or place your orders with the CCF Center Admin office.

89

APPENDIX C

TIPS ON USING "WHAT IS THE

BEST DECISION YOU'VE MADE

IN YOUR LIFE?"BOOKLET

Adapted fromCampus Crusade for Christ

90

P Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit

P The best way to use the Best Decision booklet is to simply read

through it aloud without adding your own commentary or additional

information.

P Seek to communicate in your natural speaking voice, not in a

mechanical way.

P If questions come up that would change the topic, discern if it is an

honest question or simply a tactic to divert the conversation. If your

contact is really trying to clarify a point related to the gospel, then

give a brief and straight answer as clearly as you can. Point out Bible

verses to show where you base your answer.

P Be sensitive to the level of interest of the person you are sharing with.

If he or she seems to lack interest, and there seems to be no response,

pause and ask, “Is this making sense to you?” or a similar question to

hold the interest of the listener.

P Hold the Best Decision booklet so that it can be clearly seen. Use a

pen to focus on certain key points. This will also help hold the attention

of the person you are sharing with.

P If you are sharing to more than one person at a time, give each one

a copy of the booklet. Ask that everyone follows along as you share.

Pray with those who are interested in receiving Christ; when you get

to the prayer part, say something like:

“If you would like to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord, simply follow

after me as I lead in prayer….”

This will give a chance to anyone in the group to accept Jesus if they

choose to.

91

APPENDIX D

HOW TO HANDLE

DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO

THE INVITATION TO RECEIVE

CHRIST

92

Instructions: When you get to the 15th page ("Pray this in Faith") in the Best

Decision gospel presentation, read through the page as is. After reading

through the prayer section, ask, “Would you like to pray and receive

Christ into your heart?” Wait for your evangelistic contact’s response

and proceed accordingly; use the following guide to help you respond

appropriately:

Their Response Your Response Next Step / Comments

YES Say something like,

“That’s great! Let

me go through the

prayer again and

this time, you pray

along with me.”

Lead them in prayer,

phrase by phrase,

aloud with them

repeating after you.

If they want to pray silently say,

“Why don’t you take the booklet,

and as you read the prayer,

silently, pray the prayer to Christ,

inviting him to come into your

life. When you finish, just say,

amen, and I will know you have

finished.”

Sometimes, a person will state

that they would like to pray on

their own later in the day. Say,

“That is fine. Let me suggest

that you take the booklet with

you and sometime between now

and the time you go to bed that

you get alone and read through

this booklet again. And when

you come to the prayer, pray

the prayer to the Lord. And

then finish reading through the

booklet.”

Adapted from MC2 Training of Campus Crusade for Christ


Their Response Your Response Next Step / Comments

I AM NOT YET

READY TO

ACCEPT CHRIST

or I AM NOT YET

READY TO PRAY

THIS PRAYER

“Let me show you

what will happen

when you do invite

Christ into your life.”

Proceed to pages 16-17 and

use the future tense to share

the points of what will happen

when they do accept Christ. Do

not read the sentence “Today

is your spiritual birthday, HAPPY

BIRTHDAY.”

Some may not be ready to pray

because they did not completely

understand, may have their

questions answered when you

explain what will happen when

they pray.

After reading through pages 16-

17, ask them again if they want

to invite Christ into their life.

If they answer “YES”, then go

back to the 15th page and lead

in prayer.

If they answer “NO”, then say

something like,

“I respect your decision, if at a

future time you may be ready

to accept Jesus as your Savior

and Lord, you know how. Thank

you for letting me have this

conversation with you! I would

like to leave this booklet with

you so you can read through it

again if you’d like to.”

95

APPENDIX E

EVALUATION TOOL FOR

GOSPEL SHARING

96

MD Peer Evaluation Tool for Evangelistic Presentation

Evaluator : Date:

Gospel Sharer :

Kindly evaluate your partner based on the following criteria. Check the

appropriate box under the “evaluation” column that corresponds to your

evaluation for each criterion.

Please give your partner specific points for improvement for every “I

somewhat agree” and “disagree” evaluation you give.

CRITERION EVALUATION

1. Clarity

• My partner shared the gospel

points in a logical sequence

• My partner's voice was easily

heard

• My partner used words that are

easily understood

I agree

I somewhat agree

I disagree

2. Connection

• My partner introduced himself/

herself to me in a friendly way

• My partner asked for my name

and took some time to listen to

my interests and/or needs

• My partner related my needs or

interests to spiritual truths

• My partner maintained

good eye contact during our

conversation

• My partner had me read some

of the gospel verses

I agree

I somewhat agree

I disagree


CRITERION EVALUATION

3. Conciseness

• My partner transitioned our

conversation to the gospel in a

timely manner


within the time he asked for

• My partner avoided giving

additional explanations to what

was written in the evangelistic

tool

I agree

I somewhat agree

I disagree

4. Completeness


points completely

• My partner gave me an

opportunity to respond in

prayer to Christ’s offer of

forgiveness, salvation and

eternal life

• My partner gave me an

opportunity to express to God

in prayer my desire to follow

Jesus as my Lord

I agree

I somewhat agree

I disagree

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